Should I be topping off tank during initial cycle?.

Just as the title says, I am about 4 days into my cycle and was wondering if I should top off the tank when it gets too low. Also how long should it be to I see that ammonia spike?

 

Definately keep topping the tank off as usual. Depends on what you used to start the cycle the ammonia spike can happen between a few days and a few weeks and last for an unknown duration.

Make sure you have test kits and test every day or so. You will see an increase in ammonia, then a decrease in ammonia but an increase in nitrates, then no ammonia and high nitrates, and finally no nitrates. After the nitrates and ammonia have both gone to zero you have finished the cycle.

Only testing will tell.

 

How big is your tank? Get media bags and fill one with raw shrimp (rinsed off first). I cut mine up into pieces also to help get the cycle going. I saw Ammonia rapidly spike to 8.0ppm within a few hours. My tank is only 8 gallons though. In a larger system it might take a few days to see a high Ammonia spike. Like he said, depends on what you used. The raw shrimp worked very well for me and my tank is very healthy right now. Been up and running for 6 weeks.

 

Id say do it to get in the habit of it...unless you are planning on getting an auto top off unit in the near future, you are going to need to top off daily when you get livestock so why not get into the routine.

 

Thanks guys, going to top off tonight. Also I haven't used anything to start a cycle, just have live rock and sand I'm there now. But I do see some die off from the rock it looks like ans some of it is changing to brown

 

Might want to chuck a peice of shrimp or something in there though to really get it going. + some beneficial bacteria supplements.

 

dont confuse Nitrites with Nitrates. Ammonia goes up then down, Nitrites go up then down, nitrates continuously creep up (untill a water change or you use nutrient export such as refugium or a nitrate reactor). The cycle is complete when ammonia and nitrite is zero. You should be topping off evaporated water with RO/DI from now on.

 

The way I understand it is that nitrites are the intermediate between ammonia and nitrates? Therefore as you increase ammonia, it starts to be converted to nitrites and consquently nitrates. And as ammonia falls, there is less nitrites and less nitrates. But in the end only nitrates will remain and the cycle is finished when those are consumed by beneficial bacteria.

 

you got the right idea, I think you just accidentally typed Nitrates instead of Nitrites in your first post.

 

Just happen to have 11 lbs of shrimp in the freezer for falters day! So I got one it here now. How long should I leave it in for? A few days?